But there simply was no passing Kevin Harvick for the lead and then keeping him in the rearview mirror as Harvick won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.

The victory extended a remarkable run for the reigning Cup champion both at the one-mile track here and overall in the Cup series, a run not seen in NASCAR in four decades.

It was Harvick's second win in as many races; he also won a week ago in Las Vegas and thus has captured two of the three races in NASCAR's early season Western swing. The third race is next Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Harvick's win also was his seventh consecutive finish of first or second going back to last fall, when he captured the series title. The last driver to accomplish that feat was seven-time champion Richard Petty in 1975.

Harvick's win at the CampingWorld.com 500 also was his fourth consecutive victory at Phoenix International, his fifth in the last six Cup races here and his record seventh Cup win overall at the track.

"This is a real special place," Harvick said of Phoenix International, where the 39-year-old Bakersfield native often raced as a young driver. "It's almost scary how well things are going."

Scary, perhaps, but not surprising. Harvick's No. 4 Chevrolet, prepared by Stewart-Haas Racing, again was the favorite Sunday not only because of Harvick's record here but because he was fast in practice and qualified on the pole position.

"Today's race is Harvick's to lose," Jeff Gordon said before climbing into his No. 24 Chevrolet. Gordon, a four-time champion in his final full-time season, finished ninth.